1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus and a monitoring method for monitoring a state of a room-temperature-fluctuation air conditioning system that performs air conditioning by controlling a heating medium flow rate and a heating medium temperature and that changes a room temperature set value in accordance with a predetermined schedule or a room-temperature-fluctuation heating medium transport system that controls a heating medium flow rate and a heating medium temperature and that changes a room temperature set value in accordance with a predetermined schedule.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air conditioning control for periodically changing a room temperature set value (room temperature fluctuation control) has been developed by some research institutions and companies (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-009895).
Room temperature fluctuation control is regarded as control that is suitable for making energy saving and living environment quality (resident satisfaction or intellectual productivity) compatible with each other compared with ordinary room temperature constant control (see, for example, Kana MIZUTANI, Shinya NAKA, Mayumi MIURA, Chosei KASEDA, Takashi SHINOZUKA, and Toshiharu IKAGA, “Thermal Satisfaction under the Temperature Fluctuating Environment and Energy Consumption, Development of Fluctuating HVAC Control System Based on the Thermal Comfort of Office Occupants”, Collection of Papers of The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning Sanitary Engineers of Japan, pp. 2489-2492, September 2012).
Room temperature fluctuation control is control in which a room temperature set value is changed over time. Even if stable control can be temporarily performed within a controllable range, a room temperature may deviate from the controllable range as time proceeds. In the worst case, a situation may occur where the room temperature is mainly outside the controllable range and does not fluctuate at all.
During operation under the room temperature fluctuation control, it is necessary to make a prediction for the future, but there is no technique for making a prediction.